Mira's Last Job
by chapellefan
Summary: Post Kotor 2. After the Exile left for the Unknown Regions, Mira finds herself lost, looking for a purpose. However, one crash landing later and she's surrounded by a planet full of trees and Wookies. Rated T for Violence and Suggestive Themes.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **The Following is a non-profit fanfiction. "Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic" is copyrighted to George Lucas, LucasArts, Bioware and Obsidian respectively. Please support the official release.

**A/N:** All facts, details and accounts were taken from the source Wookieepedia. Any disputes, corrections or claims about the continuity should be addressed in Private Messages.

Sentences in _Italics _refer to flashbacks.

Dialogue in "(_Italics and parentheses)"_ refer to alien text translated to Galactic basic.

**Mira's Last Job**

"I really gotta start charging more for this job…" The redhead sighed. Flying around in a small fighter was not her ideal method for a bounty. However, considering the large sum Vogga the Hutt was offering, how could she afford to turn it down? Besides, it was a good way to escape, considering all the mess she went through lately. As she hit the auto-pilot button, she sat back and enjoyed the view, or as much as anyone could, in her position.

A few weeks ago, she was on the biggest mission of her life; saving the galaxy from certain destruction. Now, she was back to being a plain old bounty hunter. No Jedi, no Force, no fuss. Still, it was difficult to turn away from, even now. She felt the currents, the flow of life around her, dim as it was. Most of all, she felt the teeming of life from the forest planet below. Strange, that she never noticed that particular system before. Mira sighed, opening up her comm. channel.

"Hey, Vogga…" She cried, receiving thick static through her device. "You sure the target's here?"

"(_I am very sure)_." The Hutt replied, rubbing his slug-like chin.

"Because, I'm here and I sure don't see any-" Mira paused, receiving turbulence from her backside. With the entire cockpit ringing, and signs that her engines were at 50 percent power, she immediately knew what was going on. After all, you couldn't grow up on Nar Shardaa without being backstabbed once or twice.

"You set me up, you fat worm!" She screamed through the device.

"(_Even with that incessant Goto out of the picture, the price of a Jedi is very… valuable._)"

She grumbled, turning off the comm. device, switching back to manual and maneuvering out of fire. The small fighter curved and banked around hard curves, but to no avail. The enemy fighters closed in on her and fired heavily. Not one for suicide missions, she looked for a way out. Sadly, her Hyperspace drive had several cracks and with the way the enemies tailed her, she'd be delaying the inevitable. Thus, conflict was her only way out.

Mira quickly did a somersault, taking out one fighter and damaging the other. However, considering she was outnumbered 6 to 1, the battle had hardly turned in her favor. She quickly flew around, looking for any openings but to no avail. She was trapped and found no way out.

"_Trust your instincts…"_

She shook herself awake, and continued to fly away. No time for hallucinations, she told herself. She quickly charged the enemy line, taking out the damanged fighter from before and one more for good measure. However, her fighter was hit significantly, as entire cockpit glowed red. The redhead drove herself towards the forest system and braced for impact. For a moment, she sighed a bit of relief, before numerous branches began to block her view. As she became closer and closer to her inevitable crash, the sounds of metal scraping leaves added to her fear. Finally, she felt, not saw, her ship run against dirt, before colliding with a nearby trunk and banging her head in the process. She had survived, barely.

"_Okay, don't black out! Don't black out! Don't… aw, crap!"_ She said, before succumbing to sleep.

* * *

"_You're leaving?" She exclaimed, looking the ne'er-do-well in person._

"_Yeah. One week for repairs, then I have to go." The Jedi said. In his defense, it was clear that the Exile had no plans of settling down. However, his newest plan seemed ludicrous at best. Mira felt frozen, watching as without batting an eyelash, he declared he was leaving for the Unknown reasons. It had been fortunate that they had been in a bar, because she needed a heavy dose of Juma right now. _

"_Umm… Newsflash!" Atton said, looking at him. "You spaced the old Witch! You're still here so, don't do it!" _

"_No," he replied. "Kreia may have been Sith, but she was right. The true threat is out there, and I have to stop it."_

"_But, why must you go alone?" The Echani sister said. "Can you not bring allies with you?" _

"_The same reason Revan went alone. He couldn't bring liabilities that could endanger the mission. And I'm afraid that includes all of you." He said, turning to his allies. Atton, former smuggler, had looked devastated and Brianna looked something between furious and on the verge of tears. However, others in the group her harder to interpret. Mandalore, naturally, didn't show, or couldn't show, any emotion past his helmet. Bao-Dur sat solemnly out of respect. Then there was the Miraluka, bowing her head in silence with her fists shaking in her lap. _

_Mira, on the other hand, was livid. She couldn't stand the idea of this man leaving her, giving her something and then throwing it all away just for some idiotic gesture of heroism. _

"_You can't be serious!" She cried. "We followed you into the rancor pit of the galaxy and then you just say, 'Thanks'? Like Hell I'm going to stick around for this!" _

"_Mira, wait…" He said. _

"_Or what? You'll leave? Seems to me this Jedi business isn't something that's worth saving, anyway." _

_So she left, taking off her robe and keeping the bounty hunter jacket underneath. From this point on, she looked out for number one._

* * *

Mira awoke, mentally scolding herself to not try that again. She picked herself up, and checked the controls on the cockpit. However, several clicks and no responses led her to believe that there was no power. She scoffed, assuring herself that she was good at repairs. She lifted up the windshield and checked. To her dismay she found half of her fighter right in front of her, with the front end behind her. Clearly, no matter how skilled she was with repairs, she would need a new means of transportation.

During her observation, she nearly forgot about her surroundings. She found the end of large trunks, and could've sworn she heard a sapien-like creature pass by. There was little light below with a visible but not thick mist covering her feet. She scratched her head and shrugged.

"Well, at least it's not full of rocks…" she said, remembering the last time she crashed. She told herself to look for supplies. Fortunately, she didn't go far without her basic weapons: a laser rifle, some basic grenades and mines, some medpacs as well. However, she soon came across a large rolled up sack, stuffed with miscellaneous items. She sighed, and unrolled it. It was an ugly thing, really: a tan robe far too big for her figure and worthless anywhere else. On the other hand, the weapon it held was of greater interest. The smooth metallic casing had not been broken and held comfortably in her hand. Mira unsheathed it, hearing the low hum and letting its bright glow shelter her.

_Yellow. The Color of the Jedi Sentinel._

She groaned and was about to put it away. However, rustling in the distance caused her to change her mind. She closed her eyes and heard savage noises. Suddenly, the faceless beast struck, as she swung her blade. Faster than a second, she opened her eyes, revealing some strange creature with odd spindly legs. Mira would've examined it more closely, but random blaster shots from the distance told her to keep her distance. She ran the other way, carrying the rolled up sack with her. Unsure what she would face, she sprinted behind the nearest tree and waited for her breath to catch up.

From what she could tell, there was a Rodian and a Twi'lek on her tail. Luckily, they were inexperienced and gave her the advantage. She whipped around, and shot one of them with a paralyzing dart. However, the Rodian caught wind of this and began firing. Naturally, she fired back, only to have the fight drag out a great deal of time. When it was obvious she wasn't going to hit anything the orthodox way, she settled and used her saber to deflect the blast and defeat the Rodian. She sighed, going back and checking the bodies. However, a bright flash of light before her eyes made that impossible.

She doubted her lightsaber could defeat the gunship aimed right at her.

Taking a hint, she sprinted out of the Gatling rounds. She dodged and weaved as best as she could, but the laser tore though several of the trees. Running out of breath and room, she looked around until she found a tree. She took a deep breath and made the highest jump she made in her life. She naturally would've paraded this, if not for the ship trying to kill her. She held onto a branch for dear life, pulling herself up and watching the ship fly by. For a moment, she genuinely believed she could survive up on the tree. However, realizing that she was in dire need of food, medical care and transportation, she knew that she needed to get rid of the bounty hunters plaguing her.

She stood high on the branch, crouching down. The redhead took a deep breath. She would simply leap, land on the ship and cut a small, but not damaging hole, taking out the pilots. Letting go of all fear, she made the leap. Unfortunately, she misjudged the distance between her and ship, landing on her feet and then falling back from the recoil. The pilots must've caught wind of this because the next moment, she found herself rolling on the dirt floor with the force. The gunship was turning around. She frantically scanned the area for her lightsaber, but found it nowhere. However, she did catch sight of a slightly bent tree, leaning towards the ship.

Taking a deep breath, she grabbed hold of the trunk. Telepathically pulling it seemed easier in paper, but she had no choice. Just as she saw the spotlights blind her, the sound of heavy creaking filled the air and she was met with a ship exploding under the sheer weight of a toppled tree. Unsure whether her pursuers were alive or dead, she recovered her Jedi weapon and investigated it. Seeing two corpses was the first time it relived her. She took a deep breath, grabbed her rolled up sack of unmentionables and headed out. That would be, until she felt footsteps behind her. Drawing her saber, she whipped around, only to find a familiar, horrifying sight. A beast with fur covering its skin. Its gigantic posture was only outmatched by its smell. What little teeth it possessed, it growled with rabid rage.

"Hanharr! But, you're-"

The redhead was cut off with a blow to the forehead, knocking her out once more.

* * *

"_So, you're really set on leaving…"_ _Atton said, leaning against the door. Mira had no idea why he insisted watching her pack up, but quite frankly she was too pissed off to care. After loading up various essentials, she continued to ignore the pilot. _

"_At least say goodbye to him!" He urged on. "Where he's going, he's going to need all the luck he can get." _

"_Look, Atton…" Mira said, finally picking herself up. "I appreciate the false modesty, wake up and smell the Tarisian Ale. He's abandoning us! Leaving! We trusted him and he repays us with this? You should be madder than I am!" _

"_You know he's doing the right thing." The pilot walked towards her. _

"_And, you're going to feed yourself that line for how long?" _

"_You know when he sets his mind to something, there's no stopping him. Believe me, I've tried. Still, he's done a lot for us." _

_The redhead sighed, unwilling to abide to Atton's logic. When the Exile showed her the Force, her world was open up to something new, something wonderful. She believed she found friends who wouldn't sell her out for the highest offer to Vogga. She believed she found people who'd tolerate her. She… thought she'd found a new home. But when he announced his departure, her faith was shattered._

_Suddenly, the Echani sister passed by with loud footsteps. Looking rather disgruntled, Mira turned to the pilot._

"_What crawled up her cargo hold?" _

"_He's probably in the Starboard cabin with you-know-who." He chuckled. Mira sighed. Out of all the things in the galaxy, she didn't want to get in-between him and his faithful servant. Still, if she was going to say goodbye, now was probably the best time. She passed the galaxy map, and neared the room. However, she was surprised to find the two of them, locked in a tight embrace. Using her better judgment, she hid out of sight and rather listened. _

"_My master, please… do not go." The Miraluka said, shaking with fear. "I would… I would gladly pay the price to-"_

"_No." He said, using his presence to stop her. "You're doing just fine the way you are. But, I need to do this alone. And, I'm not your master. You mean much more to me than that." _

_The seer stood silent for a while, unsure what to say. Her full lips quivered and said nothing. However, when she finally found the will to spoke, an odd thing occurred. _

"_My life for-" She was met with a single finger, pressed on her lips._

"_Visas, my life for yours." The servant finally broke down embracing the Exile's chest. He held her silently. _

_Even Mira knew, that this was a bad time to intrude. Next time, she told herself._

* * *

She finally awoke, finding herself aloft somewhere. When she regained her sense of balance, she immediately realized that she was floating without the aid of a ship or the Force. When searching for an immediate answer, she was dismayed when she found her arms and legs bound to a stick with vines wrapped around her. Adding to her disappointment, she found the giant Hanharrs carrying her as if some fresh meat ready to be served.

"Oh, this is just humiliating…" She muttered as she was continued to be transported. She caught sight of the upper branches of the trees, filled with homes, shelters and even buildings if one could imagine it, all built with wood. She found herself, going inside the chambers where, thankfully, it was brighter than the outside. The animals cut the vines off of her as she fell to the ground. She felt her sore wrists and slowly picked herself up. At this point, she wasn't sure what to do but gasp.

The last thing she wanted to do was meet Hanharr again. Before Mira could catch her breath, she was surrounded by at least 30 of his relatives.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: **The Following is a non-profit fanfiction. "Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic" is copyrighted to George Lucas, LucasArts, Bioware and Obsidian respectively. Please support the official release.

**A/N:** All facts, details and accounts were taken from the source Wookieepedia. Any disputes, corrections or claims about the continuity should be addressed in Private Messages.

Sentences in _Italics _refer to flashbacks.

Dialogue in "(_Italics and parentheses)"_ refer to alien text translated to Galactic basic.

**Mira's Last Job Chapter 2**

Ask any representative in Czerka corporation whether or not their goals are humane, and they will respond, 'we work for human interests'. Making no apologies or retractions on their tactics or their methods, the corporation of Czerka is proud to work to their client's interests while building diplomatic relations and synergy. An employee could make an easy living by heading one of the Czerka branches, making deals with the local government as well as bounty-hunting licenses. However, the most prominent of these careers is persuasion. It's no surprise that presenters and lobbyists make an amount of money many would call 'ridiculous'. However, a Czerka lobbyist would convince you that he earned every bit of his credits.

Even now, a Czerka lobbyist was leading a group through his presentation. Not a group of Senators, as one might expect, but investors: stock brokers, wealthy clients and even the occasional prosperous merchant. Czerka corporation prided itself in making sure their investors were taken care of for life. Right now, they had past the rudimentary investment options in the stores and in the port business. However today, Vincenzo Lacer, was feeling rather excited to present something everyone had been excited about.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, we come to the end of our tour to reveal an exciting new product."

That's right, he told himself. Just like you practiced in front of a mirror. Everyday before and after work. Like brushing your teeth.

"As you know, Czerka corporation has been the head developer of many fine weapons and coordinator with Republic military. Together, we present a marvel of top engineering that is guaranteed to change the face of the battlefield for a long, long time. Ladies and Gentlemen, may I present…"

The stockholders gasped, a sign of purchase. There, the spotlights unveiled a mechanical monster, at least 20 feet in the air, with 'feet' the size of a small cruiser and a handheld gun that looked as if it could rip through an armada. Czerka had provided war machines before, but this… this was an accomplishment. Vincenzo had savored the clients' awe and was tempted to revel in it for 1 or 2 more seconds. But, he needed to make a potential sale into a sure-fire thing.

"The Breach Droid!" The audience clapped their hands, waiting to hear his presentation.

"Built with the top-class Durasteel alloy, the Breach droid has defenses no laser can penetrate, a Gatling gun able to destroy tanks and airships, and a new feature called, 'rapid leap' which I would like to demonstrate right now."

The presenter gave the signal. A remote programmer a distance off, inputted the coordinates and launched the droid what must've been hundreds of Kilometers. The droid quickly leaped back to its position, receiving an applause from the audience. He might as well rung up the register right now.

"We now conclude our presentation. Any questions?"

The investors raised their hands. Vincenzo smiled, as it gave him time to savor the moment. A lesser Czerka rep. would require 'plants' to be in the audience. Not Mr. Lacer.

"Yes, you there with the exquisite sense of style."

The noble woman chuckled, "Oh my! Well, I was wondering, wasn't Czerka corporation aligned with the Sith a while back, during the conflict between it and the Republic?"

He smiled, "We at Czerka corporation are proud to have many clients all over the galaxy, regardless of religious affiliation. Whether it'd be Sith or Jedi, we have a selection of fine services to offer anyone who needs supplies. However, if the Republic requires our services, we are glad to fulfill our patriotic duty and aid them, especially during their time of need."

A Duros raised his hand. Mr. Lacer picked it.

"_(Yes, I've been wondering about Czerka's treatment of native species, especially against the Sand People on Tattooine.)"_

"Czerka corporation is proud to have many outposts from the aquatic planet of Manaan to the deserts of Tattooine. We employ dozens of species from all over the galaxy for opportunities from the comfortable desk job to drilling on the site. Czerka does everything in its power to ensure our resources are protected such as hiring able individuals to employ diplomatic relations."

Vincenzo smiled. This would be easier than he thought. However, when he saw an Ithorian raise his hand, he sighed. _Another activist,_ he told himself. Normally, amateurs are trained 'not' to spot these people in the crowd and 'not' to answer any of their questions. But, Mr. Lacer was far from an amateur. In fact, he was feeling rather lucky today, considering he had just knocked down two of the company's heavily criticized polices. He picked the Ithorian, as if to say 'hit me'.

"_(I am most concerned about the planet you called 'Edean'. You are interested in the native species, but many of the local inhabitants refuse to comply. Many of the stockbrokers wonder if it is still a good investment, considering all the hostile life there.)"_

He smiled, mentally patting himself on the back. "Our company offers many fine products, from the everyday Medpac to treat wounds to exotic wildlife for a variety of reasons. We take the Wookies that are too old or too sick to live out in the savage wild and place them in captivity for their own good. There, they may be sold to a loving family an be treated with the best of care. Of course, I'd be lying if I said things between the native population and our own have been stable. The natives have refused diplomatic relations and killed our emissary to go back to their savage ways. However, Czerka corporations says that the client comes first, as we are currently in the middle of pacifying the threat. Any more questions?"

The audience stood silence, completely absorbing everything Mr. Lacer just said.

"Thank you for attending this tour of Czerka corporation. We have analysts right through this next room, for those eager to get a quote or continue investing in our fine company. Thank you, and good day."

Mr. Lacer paused, waiting to get a good distance away from the crowd before letting his plastic smile relax. He breathed in a sigh of relief as his assistant gave him a datapad of future appointments. He looked through them, seeing nothing out of the ordinary, save one thing.

"Why am I needed in the Senate?" He asked, taking a quick drink of his energizer.

"The Senate has been receiving resistance, concerning Edean. Many are claiming that we're endangering the wildlife there…" she said.

Mr. Lacer shrugged, "The Ithorians again…"

"No, that's the odd part. We're receiving resistance from a Mr…. Bindo, was his name."

"Bindo? The Jedi? He's hardly worth our time…" He said, fixing his attire in front of a mirror.

"While that may be true, the board of directors is… concerned about Edean. They feel it is best to… liquidate assets and move on."

Vincenzo paused for a moment, only to stare at his assistant for an elongated period of time. His secretary knew that this could only mean one of two things and hopeful as she was, Mr. Lacer was simply not the romantic type. Her suspicions were confirmed when he tossed the datapad to the ground and began to pace frantically.

"Are they mad? Liquidate assets? Give up, pack up and go home? Nonsense, I say! We have a billion credit investment on Edean and I don't intend to present the shareholders with bad news how things have changed. We have a duty- no, a responsibility to our investors to ensure that we keep our promises and turn this planet into a profit. And I don't want to hear that our efforts to keep that promise were stopped by a bunch of filthy, savage, backwards-oriented people and their ancient customs. We will keep Edean and we will turn it into a profit!"

"But, sir!" The assistant said. "Aren't you afraid that the Senate may be full of Wookie sympathizers?"

He smiled and turned back, "An idealist once said that the Senate cannot be bought. I say, 'they haven't been given the right price yet…'"

* * *

_She stalked him for the longest while, waiting for the opportunity to talk to him. Problem was, every time she found him alone, she felt it wasn't the right time. Eventually, all this stealth was becoming rather tedious, to say the least. Just when she found him simply staring at the galaxy map, she paused when the Zabrak came forward._

"_You needed me, General?" _

_He smiled. "Yeah, can you help here? I can't fix these damn wires…" _

"_It's amazing that you cannot fix a simple fuse, even after 10 years. I guess some things never change, huh, General?" _

"_That's why I brought you along," he snickered, leaning back in the chair. Mira watched as the two exchanged silences. Bao-Dur was diligent at working on the broken wire while the Exile observed closely. She hesitated; she wasn't about to barge in on what could've been an important moment. However, her lack of interference paid off, seeing the Engineer finish with the wires. _

"_That should take care of it. Still, I wouldn't try crashing her on any more dead planets…" _

"_Very funny…" The Exile said. The two males shared glances as Bao began to walk away._

"_I'm surprised you haven't asked to come." He said, clearing what was on both of their minds._

"_I have my orders, General, and I'm not about to disobey them." _

_He walked over, looking at his former companion. "Even now, you don't question my judgment. Bao, you have no idea how glad that makes me feel… to have someone have faith in me." _

"_Someone has to. Can't have you moping all the time, can we?" The Zabrak said, chuckling. _

"_Well, thanks for putting up with my 'moping' for what its worth." _

"_Anytime, General…" He said, almost leaving._

"_Bao, stop calling me General." The Exile said._

"_You'll always be the General to me."_

_The Exile put his foot down. "Bao, call me by my name. Just once."_

_The Zabrak turned and chuckled. "Alright, Maison."

* * *

_

Her breaths were heavy, thick, and audible. She stood up, only with the meekest amount of confidence. Stripped of her saber and most of her weapons (she still had a blaster attached to her thigh), she waited for the natives to speak their mind. Hopefully, none of them would be out to claim for Hanharr's honor. As she stood silently in her always-too-bare outfit, one figure out of them all came through the horde and looked over her. He, or what gender Mira could make of the walking carpets, looked her over before speaking.

"(_Who are you?)_" He growled, in a somewhat friendly demeanor.

"Name's Mira. I just crash landed here and from the looks of this, I really need to get out."

One of the others spoke up. "_(She's a spy! She has felled one of our great trees! Obviously, she was sent here to spy on us! Kill her!)_"

As the rest of the clan began to chant with him, the leader let out a gigantic roar, asserting his dominance.

"_(Silence! I am the Chieftain here and I decide what becomes of the outsider!)"_

The redhead, not one for hearing Hanharr's angry roar, decided to speak up.

"Look! I'm obviously part of one big misunderstanding. And as entertaining as that sounds, I really need to get out of here. Look, I'm not a spy and wasn't paid to do anything to you. Lemme go, and I'll let you be on your way."

The natives looked towards each other confused. It was pretty obvious they had never seen anyone like Mira or dressed as Mira. They whispered, or growled softly, towards one another unsure what must be done with her. To her dismay, she looked to find the protester that had claimed her death still staring at her. She breathed slowly, waiting to see whether to draw her pistol or let it stay in its holster for now.

"_(Forgive us, outsider. We are in the middle of a conflict, which I fear you may be a part of, too. However, as Chieftain I must ask: were you sent by the Republic or a grey Jedi?)"_

Mira thought for a moment. She didn't know what a bunch of tribals would want with the Republic, and quite frankly she wasn't eager to find out. She was tempted to talk about Kreia, but even she knew that the Sith Lord probably didn't have anything to do with them.

"I wasn't sent by the Republic. And as for the Grey Jedi, we're probably not talking about the same person…"

The Chieftain sighed slowly. "_(I see… Thank you for your honesty, outsider. I will tell the gate guard to-)"_

"_(I object!)_" The protester from before said. "_(There is one piece of evidence, still unaccounted for! Bring it in!)_"

The rest of the tribals came inside and unrolled Mira's sack. Fear seized her from within, as the mystery of her lost items was revealed. Neither in a position to rescue it, nor reclaim it, she was frozen in place. There, in plain sight, were her robes as well as her lightsaber. Unable to hazard a guess from their faces, she had to use their angry growls to determine the mood.

"_(You see! This woman is Jedi! She was probably sent her to eliminate us!)_"

"_(Silence!)_" The Chieftain spoke, silencing his herd. "_(It is clear that she does not work for the enemy. She could probably be an ally. But you are too narrow-minded to even realize that. Forgive us, outsider. But we must ask, are you a Jedi?)_"

Out of all the questions the natives could've asked her, it had to be the one she was least willing to answer.

"N-no! I'm not a Jedi!"

"_(She lies!)"_ The protester said, inciting the crowd. "(_The items are clearly hers. There was no one else in the Shadowlands!_)

Mira spoke up. "Wait! They're mine, and I used to be a Jedi, but I'm… sort of… Retired."

The natives looked at each other with confusion.

"_(What do you mean 'retired'?_)" The Chieftain asked.

"It means I used to be a Jedi, but not anymore." She said, quickly.

"_(How does one not be a Jedi?)"_

Mira shook her head. "Look, it's a long story and I don't want to talk about it. What do you need exactly?"

"_(Please, outsider. Listen to us. We are in a desperate situation with the Tribe of Czer-ka.)_"

"Czerka? Wait, they're not a tribe, they're… merchants." She said, trying to simplify things.

"_(Which is precisely the problem. Czer-ka uses our members, our family, for their trades. Long ago, they came to our village with an offer. I refused but my son, Chuundar, overthrew me and took the tribe for his own. However, my son and his friend helped me, and we led our tribe to rebel the threat, casting Czer-ka out of our home.)"_

"Wait, I heard about that…" Mira said. "I thought Revan came and took Czerka out."

"_(While Revan indeed helped us in a dire moment, it was not enough… Soon, Czer-ka came in greater numbers, bringing an army with them and began raining fire on our homes.)"_

"_(Bah!)"_ The protester said. "_(Your son should've brought an extra set of claws for this fight, instead of leaving like a coward, Freyyr! Face it; we have been forgotten by both of them!)_"

"_(Speak out against my family again, and we'll see who's the coward!)" _The Chieftain proclaimed.

"Am I… missing something here?" The redhead said, turning around.

"_(My son, his Twi'lek companion and the grey Jedi I spoke to you about left some while ago. They said they were going to talk with your 'republic', your chieftains to stop Czer-ka's advance.)"_

"So… it's being taken care of, right? I mean, your son will take care of this." Mira said, unsure whether she was convincing the beasts in front of her or herself.

"_(No, Jedi. Even if my son convinces the cheiftans to stop Czer-ka, I fear many of our tribe would fall victim to their tactics. Their… laws are strange. If we are attacked after my son's proposal is passed, Czer-ka is punished. But if it occurs before, then there is no fault. Very strange, indeed.)"_

The Protester spoke up, hesitantly. "_(We do not need their help, Freyyr! We are strong without them! We will succeed through combat and victory shall be hours!)" _

He stirred up the crowd, causing loud growling to fill the inside of the room. Oddly enough, Mira almost distinguished it as… happy. However, this could've been against her better judgment. She thought it best not to test the waters and continue her conversation.

"But… it's being taken care of, right? Your son's going to talk to the Senators about your problem…"

"_(I think differently, Jedi.)"_ The Chieftain said. "_(While I have faith in my son, we would greatly benefit for your aid. Please, help us._)"

She paused at this statement. There, the furry beasts, or at least their leader, were asking for a helping hand. Problem was, it wasn't in Mira's nature to get involved in things. That was the Exile's job, his job. Mira? She looked out for herself, scoped out the best bounty and claim it before all of the others in Nar Shaddaa. She wasn't a hero, a martyr or anything like that. She was a bounty hunter; she did things for pay. Looking around, she knew that the natives couldn't pay her in anything she wanted. Hell, it was fortunate they could use currency. On top of that, she was risking her neck on the line for a cause she didn't care for. Clearly, her mind was made up.

"Look, sorry to hear about your… problem, but I've got my fair share to deal with. Give me my stuff and I'll be out of your hair."

"_(See! The false Jedi would abandon us in our time of need! We have no need of her! Kill her, and prop her corpse as a sign to Czer-ka!)"_

"_(Never!)_" The Chieftain cried. _"(I will not resort to tactics Czer-ka would assign us. Are we no better if we took an innocent and killed her for sport? No! We are not savages!)" _

Mira waited for the uproar to calm down before the leader spoke to her again.

"_(Thank you for listening to us, stranger. I'm sorry I could not persuade you to aid us, but it is understandable. Please, take your leave. We have much to plan for…)_"

She took the hint, rolling up her sack and her saber and exiting with what must have been the coldest stares she'd ever met. As she wondered slowly out the camp, the guards let her through with no fuss. She did, however, hear the door slam rather loudly behind her. Unconvinced by their cause, she walked on the wooden platform, searching for the nearest star port to use.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: **The Following is a non-profit fanfiction. "Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic" is copyrighted to George Lucas, LucasArts, Bioware and Obsidian respectively. Please support the official release.

**A/N:** All facts, details and accounts were taken from the source Wookieepedia. Any disputes, corrections or claims about the continuity should be addressed in Private Messages.

Sentences in _Italics _refer to flashbacks.

Dialogue in "(_Italics and parentheses)"_ refer to alien text translated to Galactic basic.

**Mira's Last Job Chapter 3**

_She continued to stalk him for some time. Once again, she felt the fool for not confronting him, but excused herself by saying she wasn't ready yet. Of course, as she watched him go into the cockpit, one of her more outspoken critics confronted her._

"_**Statement:**__ Might I say, that if you are planning an assassination, you are doing a fairly poor job at it." _

"_Get out of here!" Mira said, fearing that the droid's vocabulator would alert him._

"_**Request:**__ I may also ask, that if you are going to plan an assassination, you must use a proper stealth field, not the standard, and thus mediocre, one you simply purchased from the markets. Silly meatbags and their toys…" _

"_I'm not planning to kill him, now go away!" She shushed loudly, finding Atton come from the Security room to the cockpit. _

"_Hey, you've been busy, haven't you?" Atton said. "I was wondering if I could interest you in a friendly game of Pazaak." _

"_Depends. Nar Shaddaa rules?" _

_The pilot smirked. "Not 'that' friendly. C'mon, for old times sake." _

"_Sure." The Exile said, waiting for his hand to be dealt. Some time passed as the two were enraptured in their game. As if watching a game of mental strategy, the two continued to play for some time, saying nothing between them. Mira wondered if he was fond of awkward silences, because he had surely mastered them. Finally, the final card was played as Atton smirked. _

"_That's no good. If you can't even beat me in Pazaak, how are you going to fend off a Sith Lord's mind attack?" _

"_Because the Sith Lord wasn't cutting the deck…" The Exile smiled brefily before it disappeared. _

"_Have you thought about what you're going to do, after all this is done?" _

_Atton looked up, "Actually wanted to ask you about that. I'm not actually an official Jedi, so I wanted your recommendation. You know, besides cleaning the Pazaak Den out and getting all the free Juma Juice I wanted." _

_He looked at the pilot, sternfaced as before. "Atton, if I told you that this road of charity and general goodwill yielded no redemption, would you still do it?" _

_The pilot paused, unsure what to say. "You're saying it's not…?" _

"_I wouldn't lie to you, Atton. For people like you, like me, there are thousands of lives we've claimed and all the good we do possibly won't change the fact that those lives are dead. Now, if I told you there was no redemption, no reward, no ease of conscience at the end of the road, would you do it?" _

_The pilot sat still for a while, thinking of his answer. Mira, originally simply wanting to talk to the Exile, was caught up in his teachings. Atton paused for a while and looked up._

"_Yeah, because I still owe it to them. I've got a debt to pay, and I intend to pay it back." _

"_Then, you have your answer…" The Exile said, leaving. Mira paused for a moment, and left, still unsure what to say.

* * *

_

She sat at the starport, waiting for a next flight. Ever cautious and wary, she stayed close to the turrets. That way, if a strange man tried to 'take advantage of her', she's just scream and her hunter just be'd spaced. Of course, probable of a threat as it was, it was the least on her mind right now.

It'd been no secret that she was no friend of Hanharr. Meeting his species was just damn near intimidating. And to add to that, they were asking for her help? No chance. She wasn't interested. Not one bit. For one thing, several of them bore an almost scary resemblance to the beast at hand, and she wasn't going to get involved in anything that made Hanharr go crazy. However, she did realize that Hanharr wasn't exactly the best representative of his species, but still. She was determined to get involved.

Some of the natives, in chains, passed her by. Mira avoided eye contact, unwilling to budge. While it was true Mira did once believe in healing the galaxy, trying to fix it piece by piece, things changed when he left. He promised to help her, to be there when she needed it. But he didn't. He left. Off to fight an unknown enemy while she was left with echoes in her head. She wanted someone there, someone to help her. But he wasn't; just up and left like everybody else.

He was smart enough to figure out she needed a family, but too dense to realize she had one. The idiot brother, the bickering sisters, the droid that never shut up. Even Kreia as the wise grandmother. Manipulative, yes, but had something to her character. But like all families, like all clans, they needed a leader to guide them. He lead them, he abandoned them. Some leader. She should've noted he had a bad habit of separating things: separating planets, separating families and separating himself from everyone that cared for him. She could've helped people, but what was the point if she just ended up alone again? Feel good for a moment while live the rest in loneliness? Not her idea of life…

She continued to stare, watching the furry beasts be marched to individual cages, unable to change anything. Separated, and broken apart. Like the Mandalorians, like Malachor, like her. Broken. She then watched as some reached out of their metal bars and held claws. Pieces trying to connect together. She scoffed, seeing as it was all pointless. She had wanted to be whole, wanted the galaxy to be whole. Could she still do it? Could she still fix anything, even considering what she'd been through? She sighed, and shook her head.

"I'm gonna regret this, aren't I?" She said, finally standing up and going over to the cages.

"Umm… hey. How much for the merchandise?" She said. She had enough credits left over. She could purchase some and 'accidentally' let them free.

"I'm sorry, but all sales on native species are final. If you are interested, please see the Czerka representative inside to discuss payment options." The guard said, paying no attention.

She sighed. Again, not one for conflict or killing things, she tried another approach, hesitantly.

"You will release the prisoners." She said, waving her hand.

The guard looked up, confused. "Excuse me?"

"I said, 'you will release the prisoners."

"Look, lady! I don't know who you think you are but these animals are-"

"She's a Jedi!" The guard said, aiming his blaster rifle.

"She's trying to free the slaves! Get her!"

With no less than 2 shots and an unsheathing of her lightsaber, she kissed good-bye to diplomatic relations. She stunned the two guards by reflecting the shots, only to realize that she would catch the others attention. Soon, the whole camp watched as a Jedi incapacitated two guards. She shrugged and cut open the cages, freeing the natives.

"Don't just look at me! Run!" She cried, seeing the other guards chase after her and arm the turrets. She guarded her party's escape by quickly deflecting several shots back to the turrets and the guards. Seeing no pursuing party against her, she ran with the freed slaves, unsure what she was doing. She checked back to ensure there were no parties following her. Fortunately, they had been running across the Great Walkway, seeing no sign of resistance. That was before the spotlight shone on them.

"**This is the Czerka Corporation! Get back to your cages or we will be forced to put you down! I repeat, get back to your cages or you will be vaporized!" **The Gunships were not kidding around. However, several of the slaves spread out, hopped on the trees and attempted to swat down the ships. Seeing the animals in danger, she quickly tossed her saber as it clumsily but quickly head towards its wing. It cut it down, sending in a tailspin and crashing, while she picked up her saber.

"Gotta work on that…" She commented, only to see a trail of fire follow her. She quickly out-ran it, and taking a note from her supposed victims, she hopped on one of the trees and climbed upwards. The spotlight looked thoroughly in the ground, unable to find her. Not one for original kills, she decided what was best and hopped on one of the ships and held on for dear life. Of course, when the ship did stabilize, she cut a hole through the roof and disposed of the guards very handily. After knocking them all unconscious and tossing them out on the walkway floor, she landed the ship and whistled.

"Yo! You guys want a lift?"

"_(Who are you?)"_ One of the Natives said, skeptical.

"Name's Mira. Your Chieftain hired me to get your furry butts out of this mess. Now, are you gonna get in the ship or am I gonna have to drag you there?"

* * *

_She continued to linger about in the halls, waiting for the right opportunity to say her farewells. However, lately she could not even catch one hint of the prey in question. Some bounty hunter, letting the bounty escape, she thought to herself. As she quit the search for another day, she ran across a familiar noise. Not the low tones of the Exile, but rather the mechanical noises coming from an Astromech droid. Mira searched for the source, finding T3 communicating with the suited up Mandalorian leader._

"_Huh, that explains a lot…" The aged veteran said to the machine. "Could've fooled me."_

"_Breet-deet-deet. Dwoo-reet." _

"_It's good to know he's safe. I'd be a fool to swear my allegiance to someone who'd die easily."_

"_Dwooo?" _

"_No thanks. As long as I know he's okay, I can do my duty. You just tell him that Canderous has his army waiting." _

_Mira was tempted to question the metal shell even more, but heard sounds of a struggle from the cargo hold. She went to investigate, only to find the Handmaiden sparring with herself, per usual. The redhead stared at the girl, continuing to fight air and not pay the slightest bit of attention to her. It was a good minute before Mira decided to break the silence and confront the Echani about it._

"_Frustrated, I take it?" She said._

"_It is none of your concern." The other replied, practicing blocks and kicks._

"_Well, I can't think with all that grunting you make, what are we going to do?" The redhead said, defiantly. _

_The Handmaiden paused and resumed her normal position. She stared at the bounty hunter for the longest time, her frustration felt through each exhale. She waited for a few moments and then replied. _

"_My frustration is not something that can be expressed in simply words. It is primal, thick, something only my training can express."_

"_Then… let me train with you." She said, shrugging her shoulders. _

"_Echani sparring is not something that is taken casually. If you are to train with me, you must abide to all of its customs." _

"_Okay, hun? You're talking to the wrong person; I was a Mandalorian slave for a good portion with my life. At least with their prisioners, they train them for combat. So, let's spar already!" _

"…_Take off your clothes."_

_Mira leaped back, at least in her mind, a good deal. "I'm sorry, what?"_

"_Echani sparring requires one to strip free of their essentials, their shell in order to learn the basics of combat." _

"_Is this some sort of cheap come-on?"_

_The Handmaiden was not pleased by this statement. "If you do not wish to partake, then simply say so and I will spar with by my-"_

"_Alright, alright! Don't get your arms in a twist. But if I see you handing me a drink, I'm leaving faster than a refugee owing money to the Hutts." _

_Mira slowly and uncomfortably stripped down to her undergarments. She had to ensure that no one was looking. Never knew when Atton got ideas concerning two females in their underwear sparring. She stripped down to her black undergarments. Normally, she wasn't one to compare physique with another woman but couldn't help but notice that her skin was much darker than the perfectly pale skin of her opponent. She also took a small sense of pride that she was at least a cup larger than the Handmaiden._

"_Are you ready?" She said._

_Mira nodded, but failed to put up a guard. The Handmaiden quickly leapt and followed with several hard swings. Unsure what to expect, Mira blocked the shots and countered with a few quick jabs of her own, none of which made contact. They circled a good distance from each other before resuming contact. The Echani sister leapt into the air for a hard strike which Mira barely dodged. She did a leg sweep, only to have the Echani do a handstand out of the way. When her opponent knocked her on the ground with a palm, Mira quickly did a leg clamp and took her opponent down with her. _

_The two panted heavily, sweating even what was considered a short sparring match. After an exchange, the Handmaiden released her battle stance, or at the very least, returned to her casual form. _

"_I think that's enough for today…" She said, walking away._

"_Wait, you're not gonna talk about this?" Mira said, skeptical of the situation._

_The Echani scoffed. "Weren't you paying attention? We 'were' talking, with our fists. If you cannot understand what I am feeling now, then you never shall." _

_The white-haired girl began to walk away as Mira picked herself up. As she thought to herself, she did feel a slight amount of restraint in their duel. At first, the redhead believed it was merely for sparring purposes, but when she delved into the subject more, she understood that her opponent had to reason to hesitate._

"_You were holding back." She said quickly, causing a tiny bit of shock in her sparring partner. _

"_Hmm. Perhaps there is still hope for you, after all." _

_Mira continued, "You were holding back because a part of you isn't as angry at him as you show." _

_The Handmaiden gave no response, answering Mira's question at the same time. Having only chatted with her a few times, she suspected the Echani was not an admirer of The Exile and Visas' budding relationship. However, when time came, the Echani accepted the Exile's training of the force. Mira wasn't sure what her sparring partner was feeling at the moment, outside of fearsome anger._

"_I would've protected him if he wanted me to." She replied stepping away. "That way, I could at least show my gratitude."

* * *

_

Mira landed the ship on the ground. At first, she was afraid of hostile resistance, but somehow the natives realized that the ship carried allies, not more Czerka troops. She would've wondered how they knew, but now wasn't the time. If this was a race against time, Mira just put the villiage into much more danger than she intended to. She quickly made her way to the Chieftain, somehow looking unsurprised.

"_(So, you are not as… 'retired' as you say you are.)"_ The Chieftain said, with something that could be distinctly recognized as a chuckle.

"Well… don't think too much into it. After all this, you owe me. But right now, we need to prepare. Luckily, Czerka likes to supply their troops a great deal. I've got enough mines to make another Paragus and blasters for you all. You've got medpacs and the gunship doesn't hurt either. Can you take care of yourselves from here on out?" Mira said. She may have unintentionally aided the furry people back to their leader, but if they could help themselves, she knew her work was done.

"_(Unfortunately, I still doubt our numbers could match Czer-ka's despite your great assistance. They have advanced weaponry and their troops greatly out-number us. If you would be so kind…)"_

"Got it; say no more." She said, walking away. "I'll prepare for battle. In the meantime, I suggest you get my payment in handy. Because when I'm involved, the only thing that's not sure is your end of the deal."

She walked away, carrying the gravity inducing power that was doubt. Her confidence aside, she wasn't sure she could keep everyone safe when Czerka did arrive. Her Jedi training, if it could even be called that, did not go past her basic skills and medicine, but she was determined to see it through. She still wasn't ready to accept the role of savior, but she was a bounty hunter, and a damn good one at that. She'd use those skills in order to get the drop tomorrow. She, however, heard a giant pair of footsteps behind her. She whipped around, only to see the protestor so eager to kill her and send a message to Czerka.

"Oh, it's you…" She said with a sigh. "Look, if you still think I'm a spy for Czerka, lemme walk in their camp. When they start shooting me on sight, that should be proof enough I'm not working for them."

The protestor stood silent for the longest time before letting out a wary growl.

"_(You are a hypocrite… You say you are not a Jedi, yet you still carry the blade with you. You say you will not aid us, only to return with supplies and family. For someone so confidient, you certainly contradict yourself a number of times…)" _

"Hey, don't complain so much about a good thing…" She said, hauling supplies from the ship. "Now, are you gonna help me pass these supplies or not?"

The rest of the day was spent preparing for the battle. She had distributed, and sometimes taught, the natives how to fire their weapons. She never was one for directing troops on the battlefield, but she did know how to set up an ambush. Sharing that knowledge didn't hurt, as well as where to specifically place mines. Having no sun, she had to mentally keep track of time, ensuring that there were no or as few defensive holes as possible. Most of the fighting would take place on the walkway. Unlike the more cleaner parts, the chieftain claimed that Czerka would infiltrate through the branches, where the trees had become wild and overgrown.

Mira was just about done, when she found her rolled-up sack again. She sighed and took a gander at it. After revealing it, she looked at the dirty, raggy, and just plain unfashionable robes for the longest time, recalling the last time she swore never to wear them. And just as before, her mind began to drift to a daydream…

* * *

_She snuck around, looking where he went. Nowhere to be found, she thought. The redhead had just about given up when she notied a prescence behind her. She nearly caught her opponent with a forearm when he caught it and whipped said bounty hunter around. For a moment, she breathed a sigh of relief, seeing only the Exile. Then, she recalled her anger towards him and demanded her arm back._

"_You know, for a bounty hunter, you could be sneakier." He said, stern-faced._

"_Shut up." She said, grabbing a seat near the Star Map._

"_I hear you've been trying to talk to me all week. Perhaps I should stay hidden, keep you around longer." _

_Mira sat in silence, trying to ignore his attempts at humor._

"_Please, Mira. We have to face this one way or another." _

_She glared at her leader, or rather ex-leader. Part of her held on to the fury that he would charm her with a wink and a smile and be gone the next moment. Another part was more forgiving, willing to listen to reason. Hell, one part of her wanted to punch him outright. However, his teachings taught her to be calm, to think about things rather than act on action. She turned around and faced him._

"_I just don't understand what the big deal is. This isn't your problem; it's Revan's. I… need you to explain to me why you're doing this, all of this!" _

_He sat silent for a moment. Mira took the time to observe his features: the black midnight hair that suited him, the beard the complimented him and gave him sort of an older look, the brown eyes that seemed alone. She sat there, waiting for his answer. He smiled back, and began to respond._

"_When I was growing up in the Enclave-"_

"_Spare the story, I want answers." She said._

"_And I can only give those answers when you have something called 'context'. Now, as I was saying, when I was growing up in the Enclave, I was mostly in charge of watching over the Younglings. At this point, many of them, including some of the older ones sort of… looked up to me. Most days, they were hard to control, running around, getting into fights with one another, misusing the Force; most of the new recruits came from families, you see. But, one day, I found them doing none of that. It was terribly silent, and I went to observe. One of them had smuggled a hologram, showing the Mandalorians take a system. All of them, hushed in a circle, completely silent, watching a tape of the outside world reacting and changing._

_"It didn't sit right with me; watching younglings and children stare at holovids, scared rather than just being themselves. Instead of being scolded, they were facing reality, wasting their youth on something they couldn't control..._

"_That's when the questions came. Why don't we do something about it? Aren't Jedi supposed to do the right thing? Why do the Masters say no? And they were good questions, none which satisfied us. We were taught not to be cloistered order, but what were we doing? That's when I left. Because, one way or another, the galaxy moves with or without us. But those gifted with the Force knew that we could make a difference. I was a leader; I might as well have joined the fight." _

_Mira sat, almost hypnotized by the story. She wasn't completely convinced; her inner cynic wouldn't allow such a thing. However, when he looked in her eyes, he sought out the human part in her. _

"_Mira, it's time to stop observing and do something. Kreia was wrong; we do need the Force, both dark and light. The Force is life, it connects and joins us all together in one massive flow. Be a part of the Force and preserve life. The Force left me for 10 years."_

_He took her hand and clasped it together._

"_Don't let it leave you…"

* * *

_

She breathed a sigh, and rolled her eyes. As if accepting, begrudgingly but noble nonetheless, she adorned the robes and tied them around her waist. She always knew the robes were far too big, what with how they dragged on the ground even as she walked. However, the natives had a look in their eye, as if a sudden burst of confidence came rushing in. Most curious were the children, almost excited that the folklores they were told were finally coming true. Mira sighed, allowing the stares to pass her by. Admitingly, she wasn't ashamed of the thing as she expected to be. After a quick stroll, Mira, fully dressed as one of the Order, turned to the leader.

"Admit it; this makes me look fat, doesn't it?"


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** The following is a non-profit fanfiction. I do not and do not claim to own Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic or its respective properties. Knights of the Old Republic is copyrighted to Bioware, Obsidian and LucasArts. Please support the official release.

Please also to read and review. Enjoy!

**Mira's Last Job Chapter 4**

Had there been a sun, it would've shown as directly noon by Mira's watch. As it was, the moon had made the substitute, telling when the battle would take place. Several scouts reported back and she held her position at the front of the barricade. The natives had done all they could to prepare, such as hiding for ambushes, signaling each other silently and setting a plethora of mines. Finally, a rushling in the bushes revealed the first soldiers, marching in front. The redhead unsheathed her lightsaber and waving it as menacingly as she could. Most of the new Czerka recuits were taken aback by this. But the older mercenaries simply pushed out front and glared at her.

"Back off, or you'll be answering to me. What's your choice?"

By the quick draw of their blaster rifles to the charging of their ammo packs, Mira got her answer. She paused for a moment, before sweeping the mercs legs from under them. She then gave a loud whistle, signaling her furry allies and the battle had commenced. Out of the trees, the natives leapt and broke through the Czerka offensive. With their sheer size and equipped with blaster rifles, they tore through the first line, almost wiping them out. The redhead signaled them to fall back, as the rest of the tribe followed her command. Soon, more troopers came flooding through the gates, this time with more equipment and experience. When Mira caught sight of a Gatling laser on one of the mercs, she knew this battle had come for the worst.

Hiding from cover, she let out one of the biggest missiles she ever created. After launching the custom rocket, it took out nearly the entire battalion and left some fires burning. However, Czerka continued to flood the walkway with more of their troops. From cover, Mira continued to fire dart and alterntating between the blaster rifled. The natives were not one for holding their position, but soon Czerka mercs continued to penetrate the line. However, one foolish merc didn't realize the mine he was stepping on. With a quick flash and an explosion, Mira successfully led several of the Merc soldiers ito a minefield. Those too scared or too smart to enter were taken down with blaster fire.

However, there were only so many mines as the rest broke through. Using her dart gun, she paralyzed or in other cases incapacitated whatever threat may have come. Her allies had done well sniping and otherwise taking care of officers from the trees. But, her luck soon ran out as one of the mercs blindsided her and smashed her wrist mechanism in the process.

"No, no, dammit! Not now!" She said, struggling to repair the broken circuitry. Mira had no time to waste. More soliders filled the walkway. Looking at her limited options, she quickly gave a sharp whistle and like a Kath Hound to flesh, the gunship appeared to take care of the remaining guards. Its gatling laser tore through the enemy line, allowing the natives a chance for a frontal assault. Mira knew she must've been doing something right because several of the soliders began retreating prematurely. Her victory was short lived, as one of the soldiers stared at her lustfully.

"Hey, girly. You look real nice…" He said. Doing something crazy, she clenched her fist and gave a sharp right hook to the merc's face. Looking unshaken, the guard continued his advance.

"Now, now. Nice girls shouldn't play bad. Let's get you out of those clothes and…"

The mercenary at this point felt the left part of his face freeze up. When he used whatever sthrenght remained in his left half to check himself, he felt 5 needles sticking out of his face. Confused at first, he watched as Mira unclenched her fist, dropping several darts to the floor.

"I knew I couldn't go deep enough, so I had to settle for quantity…" She said with a smirk. As she neared the battlefield, she gave the frozen soldier a pity kiss on the cheek and moved on.

The would-be Jedi watched as the battle went quickly in their favor. Her side had suffered little injuries and no casualties while the enemy line was purely decimated. She would've given herself a pat on the back, if she didn't spot several spotlights belonging to gunships that weren't hers. She leapt out of the gattling fire, climbed up the nearby tree and leapt onto one of the ships. Fortunately, she found her balance that had left her during her first time. She took her lightsaber and began piercing the hull. Once open, she cut her way inside and knocked out the guard. Once she had the controls, she began firing at the other ships. Luckily, she was a very good shot.

Landing the ship down, she rendezvous with the Chieftain, commanding the battle from the end.

"_(We are winning! Most of Czer-ka is retreating.)"_

"Don't celebrate just yet. Call it a gut instinct, but I have a bad feeling about this…"

* * *

Czerka observers in the computer room were watching as their career had taken a literal nosedive. The invasion had lost them many resources, and with no victory in sight. Things went even more sour when their Commanding Officer infiltrated them.

"What's going on? Why hasn't the tribe been taken yet?" He cried out at the top of his lungs.

"Sir, watch this. A Jedi is in their midst and they're causing havoc to our troops."

"Bindo?" The C.O. said. "Impossible! He's currently in the Senate as we speak!"

"No, not Bindo. Maybe his friend, but definitely not Bindo."

The Observers watched as their superior panted back and forth, wiping the sweat off his brow. He knew that this was their last chance to take back Edean and ensure Czerka would not be at fault for a village under their control. However, the C.O. checked his transmitter device in private. After a couple of "uh huh's" and "Yes'", the C.O. returned to the observers.

"These are orders from the top. Edean is to be taken at all costs. Prepare the Breach Droid!"

The scientists looked at their superior as if he had gone mad. The Breach Droid was a prototype, a design not yet perfected. Losing that would result in several debts in Czerka. Unsure whether or not to listen to him, they paused for a moment.

"What are you standing around, gawking for? I said 'prepare the breach droid'!"

Almost immediately, the observers began preparations and let the machine get to work.

* * *

For the first time she was on this forest planet, Mira smiled. Not a faux smile, not a smirk, a grin, or a shrug. This time, she genuinely smiled. The battle had, for the most part, gone in their favor and a majority of the Czerka forces were retreating. The natives chased them off as she breathed a sigh of relief. She'd help some helpless, now her conscious was clean. After this, she'd probably head back to Nar Shaddaa to settle a debt with Vogga. However, when several of the warriors came back from their pursuit, Mira had a distinct feeling that she spoke too soon.

"What the hell is that thing?" She said, as the warriors backed away. She saw a rustling in the braches, and almost heard one of the trees being forcibly pushed out of the way. With her wrist gadget out of commission, she unsheathed her lightsaber and had it at the ready. However, when the monstrosity arrived, it surprised everyone, redhead included. A War droid at least 20 feet tall almost handling a giant Gatling laser as if it were a toy. When the airship exploded behind her, it snapped her out of her fear, but not of her doubt. She took guard and charged the giant droid, only to be whipped away and hit a trunk with her back. After an audible gasp, she returned.

At first, her lightsaber seemed the most feasible choice as he leapt on the droids blindspot and began piercing its way to its hull. However, she had barely pierced 2 inches when the droid threw her about like a rag doll on the Walkway floor. Judging by the heavy fire from the natives, energy weapons nearly had no effect on the machine. Putting it away, she began picking up moderate to large pieces of the exploded ship, crates and even thick branches. However, with each hit, the droid came out unphazed. So, Mira tried the unthinkable and tried to mentally lift the droid. However, it's frame nearly weighed a ton. Noticing this, the droid activated its jet boots and flew out of the way before firing at Mira.

The redhead took cover, only to be knocked back by an explosion. When she awoke, she noticed the villiage set ablaze her stomach drenched in her own blood. She crawled away, commanding the Force to heal as much damage as possible. However, her concentration was waining. Her faith was fading. As the once cowardly troops marched into the settlement, her body shook from how the battle quickly turned away. All her doubts, her fears were all concentrated on the one droid that was impossible to take down. She knew this was a mistake; she wasn't Revan, she wasn't the Exile. She was just a bounty hunter who landed in the wrong place.

"_I'm… scared. I don't want to be scared, but I am. I… can't. I… can't."_

Suddenly, she felt a firm hand on her wielding hand. Mira turned to look, only to find nobody there. However, the feeling of the other's hand on hers was familiar, like an old friend returning.

"_You have nothing to fear when the Force is your ally…"_ The Exile said. At first, Mira blinked once and then twice. However, as true as if someone were holding her hand, which held her lightsaber, so was the voice in her mind.

"Wow, I hit that tree harder than I thought." She chuckled pathetically, unsure what to say.

"_I am speaking to you through the Force. Listen to me, Mira. The Battle is almost won, but you must deal the finishing blow." _

"And you expect to listen to you, after you… you left us!" She screamed, almost looking insane in the process.

"_I was always here, Mira. You just weren't paying enough attention." _

The redhead didn't know what was coming over her. At first, she felt as if all her energy had left her, but now her anger had caused her to almost regain every big of lost energy. Eventually, she found her wound healed and her fatigue dispersed. She didn't understand what came over her until she realized it was all his doing. Somehow, he was helping her, even though he was million of light years away. She didn't understand or rather, didn't want to understand.

"_Now come. Show me you are the best Bounty Hunter on Nar Shaddaa._"

Mira sucked in a deep breath and felt the flow that was all of the Forest planet. Unlike Nar Shaddaa life was thick here and vibrant. She felt it all around her, and how Czerka was slowly killing it. She ran forward, finding her movements to be faster than she preconceived. As if time slowed down for her sake, she spun around the War droid, cutting tiny marks into it. When it tried to smash the ground and missed her, she leapt onto the droid and mentally tore open a hole on its lower region. She tried to exploit this, but the droid resisted and fired its Gatling gun. She stood several steps back, signaling for it to come.

The droid pursued the Jedi, unknowing stepping into a minefield in the process. However, even Mira's trap wasn't enough to topple the droid as it simply stepped on every mine as if it were an insect. Mira cursed audibly, unsure what to do next. If minature explosions wouldn't take down target, what could? Then, an almost insane idea formed inside her head. She wasn't sure it if was her own or the voice inside of her, but there was a plan that could be accomplished. Suicidal, yes, but brilliant at the same time. Staring at the giant droid, she unsheathed her light saber and bent down to adjust her boots.

Using her superior speed, she ran circles around the giant droid again. Distracted by the redhead, it tried several times to smash her, only to continue taunting it. How fully aware of its attention, Mira ran to a secluded spot, as if baiting it to come to her. However, the droid used its mechanized leap to cover a great distance and land inches away from her. She took the time to run, but the machine paid attention this time. It barely scratched the part of her robe and picked her up. Mira attempted to undo the wrap of her garments, but it was too late. Soon, the droid had Mira in its grasp and was slowly crushing the life out of her. She would've used the Force to Push it way, but she couldn't, she knew she couldn't.

Finally, Mira, assured that her ribs had been crushed and her body disposed of, chuckled a little.

"Guess you didn't notice, huh?" She said, pointing to its foot.

"Set a delay on the mine activation on you. In about 10 seconds, you're going to set off the 50 plasma mines you're sitting on. Later!" She chuckled, as the droid could barely move when the explosions hit. Everywhere she looked, the mines set off and simotenious detenations took its toll on the machine and her. Finally, when the explosions settled down, the droid was nothing more than pieces of scrap metal and she was looking a little worse for wear. Plasma burns and scars had covered her body as she could barely command the Force to sustain herself. She gazed, seeing the Czerka troops taking hint and leaving for the last time. She sighed and turned to the Chieftain, chuckling all the way.

"Hey, don't forget about my payment. Just… gonna… take a nap." She said, collapsing on the Walkway floor.

She never woke up from her 'nap'.

* * *

"As my feet walk on the ashes of Katarr," The Miraluka said once more, now making her statement a reality. She continued to step on her dead planet, trying to find what he told her to do. "I shall not fear, for in fear, lies" She paused for a minute, noticing the silence that was there. She turned to it, realized who it was and stayed silent for a moment. However, in this case, she felt swelling of the Force, rather than a emptiness in it.

"As my feet walk on the ashes of Katarr…"

* * *

She was buried in Atris old archives, studying and listening to the history of the Jedi. No longer a Sister of the Echani, she took the role of Jedi and claimed it to be hers. However, as she studied her new data, she felt a disturbance and then an absence in the Force. She concentrated to find out the source, only to realize who's it was. She smiled, which was something to say from an Echani to a Mandalorian.

* * *

He continued to repair things, as he always did. As the Ithorians restoration efforts on the station continued to improve, he was in the middle of some complex wiring when he felt something missing. Not from the fuse box, but missing from the galaxy, like a hole. He concentrated to find it, only to find it was someone he knew. The Zabrak stood silent for a while, comtemplating this death and then sighed. He looked back, only to find one of the Ithorians looking at him.

"_(Is there something wrong, Bao Dur?)_"

"It's nothing, Chodo. I thought something was missing, but it turns out they wanted to missing all long."

* * *

"Hit me with some Juma and keep 'em coming." He said, getting comfortable in his new robes. Granted, he gathered many stares in the Cantina, but none so much as he was used to. As the bartender poured him his drink, he stared at him.

"_(How you pay?)"_

The former smuggler gave a wave of his hand. "It's on the house."

The Rodian shook his head. "_(No on house. I get in big trouble if you no pay.)" _

He sighed, handing him a small amount of credits and took his drink. He would've drank it down, if he hadn't felt something empty. Not the usual emptiness around him, but a emptiness in the galaxy. He listened to it, and knew who it was.

"_(So, why you here?)"_ The Rodian said, cleaning the bar.

"Mourning the loss of a friend, you could say…" Taking a drink, he couldn't help but notice one of the dancers, being harassed by the patrons.

"C'mon, give me some sugar!"

"_(Get away from me, you drunk!)"_ She said, trying to defend herself.

He shrugged, downing the rest of his drink and stepping towards the woman in danger. He'd repay his debt, one payment at a time.

* * *

"_Today, the Galatic Senate decided today on the system of Kashyyyk. It was decided that the Czerka corporation not only cease and desist its slaving operations on the Forest Planet but to pay reperations to aid the Wookiee familes that they-"_

"Turn that filth off!" Mr. Lacer said, coming out of his Senate appointment.

"If those damn Wookiee lovers want to bankrupt the Republic, so be it! We have other investments to attend to."

The Czerka lobbyist and poured himself a drink from his bar. When his secretary came in, he could tell that she bore bad news.

"Not now, I need a moment to myself." He said, dismissing his assistant. However, by the antsy way she stood her ground, he could tell it was urgent.

"Well, if you're going to stand there, spit it out!"

The secretary fumbled with her dossier and handed him the report from the Kashyyyk operation. As he took a sip, he was almost tempted to spit out the drink, if it didn't cost him a fortune. As he looked down, what was most back stabbing was the detail of how Czerka's prototype droid was lost during the battle.

"It's still salvageable, right? I mean there's still parts and bits laying about, aren't there?" He said, his voice and his temper rising.

"Well, the problem was that the mass production relied on this particular model. But the good news is that we're able to make more… economic models, smaller and more affordable."

Mr. Lacer wasn't an idiot nor a rookie. He knew for a fact that the giant models would've sold dozens with every military power wanting to buy them. Making economic models wouldn't gain as high a bid as the larger ones and worse, it may make Czerka look unfaithful amongst the shareholders. After taking a stiff drink, he paused and then threw his glass against the wall, screaming at his situation.

It was fortunate that Vincenzo Lacer was so adapt at speaking; he would have to do a lot of it in the future.

* * *

For the first time, he broke his mediation, staring outside to the unknown. As the ship hummed along to its eventual destination, he contemplated Mira's sacrifice. At first unwilling, then hesitant, then fully committed, he couldn't help but feel both a mixture of sorrow and pride at the same time. His friend, with a sliver of help, managed to round up the Wookiees and save them from certain death from Czerka. He'd thought about Kreia's prediction and how some of the details were wrong.

Weeks weren't necessarily years, but perhaps it was to Mira.

At the same time, he doubt Revan intentionally 'forgot' about the forest system, but rather had other things in his mind.

In the end, Maison chose to accept that some details in life were wrong and moved on to his next mission.

"Goodbye, Mira." He said, watching the endless void.

* * *

"_Her death will occur in many years time on a forgotten planet, saving the lives of others. But it will be her choice, and she will have no regrets."_

_-Kreia_


End file.
